Overview

For seventy years, William Gillies has been seen as a placid painter of landscape and decorative still life. Andrew McPherson explodes this view to reveal a modernist whose response to the instabilities and violence of modernity touched universals of human experience. Gillies' idiom was shaped by institutions for artistic production unique to Scotland. But it was the politics of Scotland's connections to the rest of the British Isles that produced his mythic and misleading reputation. New paintings and new meanings are uncovered placing the micro-effects of modernity on mental health, family and community in the wider contexts of war, nationalism and public patronage. McPherson also shows how this changing world led Gillies towards new applications of modernist expression. Lavishly illustrated, and referencing almost one thousand works, this major reappraisal is an indispensable source on the cultural politics of a four-nation state and the reception of modernism in Britain.

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9781399518307

Table of Contents

Reviews

"Enlarging on the shorter biography, this book manages to shed further light on William Gillies, but it also casts significant new light on the whole art world of which he was part, especially in the twenties and thirties. But read the footnotes as well as the text. They are a resource in themselves.--Duncan Macmillan, Professor Emeritus, University of Edinburgh Gillies is re-positioned within debates about modern British art and national identity to revelatory effect.--Alice Strang, curator and art historian This is one of the most systematically researched accounts of a single artist I have read. Andrew McPherson's commitment to his subject gives us a radically fresh perspective on the life and work of William Gillies, one that positions him as an unacknowledged part of the story of modernism in Britain. A particular strength of this book is that it situates Gillies among his peers while recognising his unique experience. McPherson pursues concerns that go well beyond the prevailing orthodoxy, making compelling arguments for the importance of Gillies' portraiture and still life and the existential spectre of death that haunted the artist in all his work. It's a compelling and well told story that also illuminates the wider social and cultural history of the artist's times.--Dr Beth Williamson, Independent Art Historian If the appetite was whetted by William Gillies: Modernism and Nation then The Life, Times and Work of William Gillies, 1898 - 1973 is an even greater revelation. Not only does the wealth of additional material throw more new light on Gillies, it delves deeper into the complexity of his life and work, always placing this within a wider context which serves to illuminate the huge cultural shifts and political events, including two world wars that occurred in his lifetime. It's impossible to exaggerate Andrew McPherson's achievement. I can't think of any comparable book on a twentieth century Scottish artist that covers so much ground. This is a book that will change for ever our view of Gillies the artist. At first sight, the large and lengthy book might appear a daunting prospect, but there is nothing of the dry academic in McPherson's account. Instead he takes us on a voyage of discovery - his enthusiasm and passion is infectious. Anyone with the slightest interest in the story of modern Scottish art should read this totally absorbing book. The Life, Times, and Work of William Gillies, 1898 - 1973 is a tour de force of scholarship and tells us so much more about Scottish art and culture in the 20th century than one had ever before imagined. --Alexander Moffat, RSA This ground-breaking book is an extended version of the author's recent publication, William Gillies: Modernism and Nation in British Art (Edinburgh University Press, 2023). It follows the same overall format but presents a body of massively expanded detail and argument, and banks of supplementary information. The author delves deeply into Gillies's background in Chapters 1-8 and then explores and analyses his art in Chapters 9-13. The highly readable text is supported by a judicious selection of images throughout, and an informative timeline that effectively contextualises the discussion. The book closes with copious endnotes ranging from straightforward references to mini-essays that amplify and underpin his discussion in the main text and reveal new research at almost every turn. These are followed by a chronological list of nearly one thousand artworks by Gillies that support the discussion. This exceptionally generous approach opens up the author's entire research thus making it available to all. An underlying thread is the author's deconstruction of previous, long-held views on Gillies. The detailed analysis of his paintings offers new and original interpretations referencing Gillies's experience of war and memorialising his family life. He repudiates the ""countryman"" trope of the artist and re-presents Gillies as a complex and highly intelligent individual who communicates through his art. This shines a light on the fact that all art is about communication - between the artist and the spectator. However, this book is far more than an analytical biography of a single artist. It delves into and explores many aspects of twentieth century life: childhood and family life; education, the impact of the First World War; domestic economics; medical matters and progress; bohemian life in Edinburgh; and art politics in Scotland and beyond. This range and depth of research reveals long-overlooked artists and undiscovered social, political and artistic networks. It offers a wealth of ideas on topics far wider than any standard art history and this will undoubtedly assist further research in many disciplines. By taking Gillies research and interpretation to a whole new level this book is essential reading for everyone with a serious interest in this artist and the visual arts in Scotland throughout the twentieth century. As a benchmark it deserves to sit on the shelves not only of libraries and art galleries, but also of collectors, curators, academics, and the curious and interested. --Dr Joanna Soden HRSA"

Author Information

Andrew McPherson is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Edinburgh. He is the author of William Gillies: Modernism and Nation in British Art (Edinburgh University Press, 2023).

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